Step Brother

“What the hell is happening?” hindi ko alam kung ilang beses ko na iyon binulong habang nakaharap sa laptop ko at nanunuod ng serial killer documentation.

Hindi ako makafocus sa pinapanuod ko dahil nasa utak ko pa rin ang nangyari kaninang dinner. Sa dinami dami nang pwede maging anak nang nagustuhan ng mommy ko, bakit ang hambog na lalaki pa na iyon talaga?

Tinatarantado yata ako ng tadhana, “Ah, shit!” hindi ko napigilan sabihin at ibinato ang hawak ko na kapiraso ng popcorn sa screen sa sobrang inis ko.

“Kaya pala masakit tyan ko, may kumukulam sakin dito,”

“Fuck!” sigaw ko nang may biglang magsalita, nag angat ako agad ng tingin, at ganon na lang ang dagdag nang inis ko nang mapagsino ang nakapameywang at naka sandal sa hamba ng pinto, “What the fuck, you really know how to get into my nerves, fucker,”

Imbes na mainis ay lalo pa siyang natawa, “Oh, come on, let’s be real here, why are you even mad at me? I didn’t do anything wrong, and to tell you the truth, I should be the one who has the right to get mad here, you said hurtful words to me, when you don’t even know me, right?”

I scoff, “Oh, come on, Cole. We both know that’s true,” sabi ko at inirapan siya tsaka ibinalik ang atensyon sa pinapanuod ko, “Get out, and lock the door when you do,”

“Wow, bahay mo?” bakas na bakas ang sarcasm sa boses nya, pero wala akong pakielam, ayaw ko makita pag mumukha nya, “You’re broken hearted because your mom got a new family and feel neglected, don’t worry dear step sister, I will treat you like you are the most loved new part of the family,”

Kung nakakamatay lang ang tingin, naka libing na ang lalaki na to, dahil sa talim nang tingin na ipinukol ko sa kanya, ngumisi pa siya bago tuluyang isinarado ang pinto.

That fucking guy, mas lalong kumulo ang dugo ko.

“Are you okay?” nagulat pa ko dahil bigla akong kinalabit ni Sue, doon ko lang naalala na nasa cafeteria kami at kumakain nang breakfast, hindi ako kumain sa bahay dahil hindi ko kaya itago ang iritasyon ko sa bahay na yon.

“Yeah,” plain na sabi ko, napangiwi pa ko nang makita na parang kinalaykay nang manok ang pancake ko, sa sobrang inis ko siguro dito ko nabunton lahat, pero kakainin ko pa rin syempre, this is my favorite.

“Sino ba yang pinapatay mo sa utak mo, nakalibing na ba?” she said followed by a humorous laughter, umirap na lang ako.

“How I wish,” I muttered at itinuloy ang pag kain.

Maingay ang cafeteria, dahil maaga pa, maraming students sa paligid, most of them were just hanging out, probably waiting for their first classes. Sa Id lang naman malalaman kung ano ang course mo, since wala kami uniform, minsan mahirap din mag isip nang damit, mag mix and match araw araw.

“Oh, hello, Faye,” kumunot ang noo ko at mabilis na nag angat nang tingin nang marinig ang second name ko, at ganon na lang ang inis ko nang mapag sino ang tumawag sakin, sino pa ba? “You didn’t eat your breakfast?” sabi niya at naglipat nang tingin sa warak warak kong pancake, “You should always eat breakfast, sinasabayan mo dapat ang family mo,” at tsaka umalis, kasunod ang mga alipores niya.

Nang tuluyang silang mag laho ay tsaka ako nakarinig nang bulungan sa buong caf.

“What the fuck, Lau?! When did you start being close to him?!” Sue exclaimed and starts to shake my shoulders, “Nung nakaraan lang judger ka, and now, you two are talking casual?!”

“Let me go, bitch!” sagot ko at inalis ang kamay niya sa magkabilang braso ko.

“You freak!” inirapan ko lang siya, “And how the hell did he even know your second name? Eh kahit sa test paper hindi mo nilalagay yon!”

“I don’t know, damn it. Can you please tone down your voice?” sabi ko at inikot ang tingin ko, ang iba ay nakatingin pa sa akin habang nag bubulungan habang ang iba naman, back to their business na.

“Something must be going on between you too,” sabi nya habang nanlilit ang mata na animo’y isang detective na may iniimbestigahan, “I’m still invested to this one, let’s go, baka ma-late na tayo, class will start in 10,”

I nodded and grabbed my bag and book, inisang subo ko na din ang pancake ko, tsaka kinuha ang carton of milk ko.

Natapos ang dalawang subjects ko, we initially planned to eat outside, pero may kailangan gawin si Sue kaya ako na lang muna, I don’t have many friends like what I mentioned.

Instead na eat out, nag punta na lang ako sa cafeteria, nakakatamad lumabas nang hall, may kainan naman sa loob ng school premises, medyo malayo lang sa building namin, mas malapit ang cafeteria, kaya iyon na lang.

I just ordered a bread with fries and coffee, hindi masyaodng maingay since it’s 2 in the afternoon, most classes were on going, and some are eating out, kaya hindi crowded unlike this morning, pero may ilan ilan pa rin.

Kinuha ko ang libro na binabasa ko at binuklat kung saan nakaipit ang bookmark ko. I love reading since I was a kid. I was too engrossed with the novel I was reading that I didn’t mentioned that someone joined me on the table, nakarinig lang ako nang mahinang katok sa mesa kaya ako napatigil at nag baba ng libro.

Kumunot ang noo ko habang nakatingin sa nakangisi niyang expression.

“Hello, Faye,” sabi niya at kumuha sa fries ko, “This is not a healthy lunch, by the way, you should have at least eat rice,”

Bumuntong hininga ako at ibinaba ang libro ko, nawalan na ako nang gana dahil nakita ko ang pagmumukha nang lalaki na to, “Ano ba pakielam mo? Kaninang umaga mo pa ko ginagago, huh?” sabi ko at tinaasan siya nang kilay.

“Oh, that’s a strong word, Faye. Hindi maganda sa babae ang nagmumura at ganyan ka-tackless mag salita,”

“And what made you think that I care about those bullshit?” unti unti nanaman akong nakarinig nang bulungan sa paligid, kaya napakagat ako sa labi ko dahil sa sobrang inis na nararamdaman ko, “Listen, Cole. Stop this bullshit and don’t test my patience, just pretend that you don’t know me and get a life, creep,”

“Uh-oh, why would you say that, I mean we were going to be family, you should get used to this one,”

“Used to what? You—bullshitting around? Nah, I’d rather have my peaceful and unknown identity until I graduate,” I said and sighed, “So, please. Stop teasing me and go back to your business,”

Hindi siya sumagot, nakangisi lang siya na akala mo masaya sya dahil nanalo sya sa kung anong laban, kaya tinaasan ko siya nang kilay.

“Your request is kinda hard to do now, Faye. I mean—you already pique my attention, and when I do? I stayed by it until I lose the feeling, so while I’m at it, I will make sure to enjoy every second of it,”

Kumunog ang noo ko, at nagngangalit ang ngipin.

“You can either play along or fight back, howeveer; both are still in favor of me, so good luck on thinking, you want to stop me? Then be my guest—Faye,”